Bertram

Schrullenhaft, I really tried to give all information at once . It is a corrupted mouse pointer I think, it is a featureless white square, probably the opaqe (sp?) form of the pointer, without any (bit?)mapfiles loaded. It is a USB mouse, plugged in the USB port. I am reasonable sure there is no Logitec software loaded (I just cleaned my system, reinstalled all again, and skipped the mouse drivers). But with windows, when are you absolute sure? (with cntrl/alt/del I have only systray and explorer running, apart from Norton Virus Scanner and ZoneAlarm) I did use the default mouse drivers, but in the Dutch version of windows that is NOT the same as none! We have both the option of the 'standaart set' (which translates to standard or default, and which IS the default) and 'geen' (= none). I now switched to none, and will see what happens. Thanks for your time! Bertram

Hi, I am having some problems with my mouse for some time now. I fibnally got so sick from it, that I decided to try to get a cure. A search on this board didn't get any results (though some pointers). The problem is that on closing the movie screen (with the 'done' button), my mouse cursor changes sometimes into the well known white square, alternating with the sizing borders icon (an up/down arrow). This situation carries on to other programs. It is remedied when the screen goes into sleeper mode (and when I restart the computer). I got a logitec Optical Mouse w. wheel. I got the impression this mouse (or rather its drivers) are suspect from various posts on this board. I checked, but I use microsoft generic mouse drivers, and default mouse icons. I also use a Geforce MX. Geforce is also a bit suspect according to the board. I checked drivers, they are the latest as far as I can see. My system is a pentium P2/400, 128 mb intern, Soundblaster live, and above mentioned Geforce MX. I usualy run Zonealarm and Norton Antivirus, and have Outlook Express often running in the background as well. Other then that I run only Explorer and Systray (and a clean desktop). I had the suspicion it might be a resources problem, but that seems improbable, as it sometimes happens with very small scenario's, and just intermittent. Any usefull sugesstions or hints anyone? Oops, I forgot, I run under Windows 98, with all updates added (except that stupid messager program). Bertram [ 08-06-2001: Message edited by: Bertram ]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>I can't add anything to the technical/chemical discussion of diesel fuel. Are batteries used for the 'glow plugs', etc ? If so, then the electrolytes of batteries might also be an issue (in extreme cold), but I'm not sure of that. <HR></BLOCKQUOTE> Batteries are used now, but not then. I live on a boat with a vintage '34 diesel engine (a 21 PK Lister). The glow plugs are just bolts of iron, screwed into the machine housing. You wind a cord around them, soaked in a flammable, and light it to get them glowing hot (actually I use a spray can of Nitro in the air intake, but that's cheating). Bertram [ 08-03-2001: Message edited by: Bertram ]

Just 4 retargets in a turn? You ain't seen nothing yet . I had a Tiger ambush a column of Americans. He basically popped over a hil from the flank of an advancing force, consisting of a number of HT's and lots of infantry. Of course all units ran as soon as they noticed the Tiger, while blasting away with guns. The Tiger didn't know which unit to target first. I think technically each unit got an equal basic threath value. But because they were firing, the unit that hit the Tiger got a higher value, till the next unit hit, then that got a higher value. As all units were letting loose with automatic weapons, this happened about once a second for each unit. So the red targetting line from the Tiger switched about 10 times a second to the next threath. In fact the music was suppressed, and I got a kind of stuttering sound. Needless to say the Tiger never fired a shot. I tried to target a specific unit for the next turn, but that didn't work, the Tac AI resumed switching between targets at once. So next turn I had to retreat him. A perfect ambush, but the Tiger didn't fire a shot. This was the most glaring example of this behaviour I have encounterd, but it happens real often. To answer the questions. 1) No this is not realistic. Especially when the threath values are close together the unit should at least fire a shot before switching to the next. 2) If all contacts are infantry?, targets are priorized on movement, distance and whether the unit is shooting at the targetting unit (not necesairely in that order, don't know the weight of the variables). The weight of the shooting value seems to diminish over time, so that the unit that shot most recently gets most weight. With infantry dropping to cover, getting up, and running in all directions this can make for some fast priority changes. 3 and 4) This is either a case of imperfect FOW (the player also has this info also about his/her opponent. This issue has been debated before. There will be a added layer of fog in the next CM) or a consequences of the rules of engagement above (empty units will not fire, paniced units will either stop moving or run away). Bertram [ 07-25-2001: Message edited by: Bertram ]

Try tournament house http://tournamenthouse.com/CM/ The site is a bit hard to navigate at times, but in the chat room there are usually some people lounging that are willing to get you a game. Bertram [ 07-16-2001: Message edited by: Bertram ]

It can get even sillier. I had an M7 trying to hit an HMG in a house. The HMG got pinned, and the Priest lost sight of it. So they stopped shelling. Next turn I ordered them to area fire the building the MG was hidden in. They started, but then the HMG popped up. They targeted the MG instead of the building. Of course the MG took cover again, and the Priest stopped shelling. I had to manoeuvre the Priest somewhere where they could not see the MG to have them destroy the building, for each turn they would fire just one shell. Bertram

One must also note that the whole dependance on lawyers seen in the USA for example is not mimicked in the former SU and Russia. People there just don't sue each other quite as much as they do in Western countries. Do, please, make some difference between the US of A and Europe, for starters . Bertram [ 06-18-2001: Message edited by: Bertram ]

Ah, I had actually the reverse experience. An AT gun was down to the last 4 HE loads, and it refused to fire on infantry, even if I ordered them (probably thinking to safe those HE loads for the moment they were rushed or something). The gun was happily blasting infantry (with HE) before this. Bertram

I still play TOAW, having bought it when it came out. Currently have 4 or 5 games running (well, some are more walking). Either buy the Century of Wargame (CoW) version or the TOAW1 version. CoW is best, but TOAW1 might be in the bargain bin, and is also still used. Be warned though, first it is possible to cheat with TOAW in a PBEM game. Some people claim bad experiences with this. Second it is a general game system, best used in WW2 environment. This means that on the one hand there are lots of user generated scenario's, some of real good quality. But on the other hand even a real good scenario like Barbarossa still lacks the specifics of a special build game like HPS Smolensk or Kharov. Bertram

And regarding your other question, how CM models this: as far as I know in CM the tank/gun will shoot the appropriate kind of ammo, regardless of what they were shooting before. So your crew will always shoot AP at hard targets, unless they run out, and will always shoot HE at soft targets (they won't shoot at all at soft targets if they have only AP). Bertram

The computer choosen forces are kind of odd at times. I am currently playing a pbem assault of 5000 points, with me the defender. We did specify combined arms, but I got armored infantry only: 4 batallions of troops with the attached 43 halftracks. Added as AT measure was 1 (yes one!) Hetzer. My opponent (hi Kitty) got a bunch of Shermans and Croc's, apart from troops aplenty. Needless to say I am not holding the field. Bertram

If I remember right the current versions of the Leopard (2A6 I think, but could be 2A5) and the M1 Abrahms use the same 120 mm gun, build by good old Krupps (for all your guns since the 1600's) in Germany. Bertram

I tried the wireless mouse (Microsoft version) but the batteries in the mouse made it rather heavy. Pushing it around for a time made my fingers hurt (especially the pink, for moving it sideways). So I am back to a mouse with tail. I am using a Logitec optical 2 button w. scroll wheel, because it is light, symetrical (I am left handed to) resonable cheap and you don't need to clean it. I am still looking for a good ergonomical left handed one to try out though. Bertram

Well, yes, I actually did split 2 squads, out of the 36 I am using. Should this give a morale drop of 4%? Looks like a *lot* to me. Bertram

Just had something strange occuring in a QB, 2000 points. I am attacking, Germans, against thusfar unknown Allies. Strangely enough the starting morale of my troops, before even one shot was fired, or move was made, was 96%. Victory was 5% for the Allies, even though I could see no one, and the flags where therefore all white. Now I *am* using overpriced hamsters in this attack, but still, it looks mighty strange to me. Bertram [This message has been edited by Bertram (edited 03-10-2001).]

I am afraid I am AWOL on a couple of games myself... Lost my hard disk, and my adresses, couldn't find my opponents on any list (if any of you reads this: Email me!). So it isn't always on purpose if someone drops out. Bertram

Schwerpunkt has some games about part of the East front, check their site (http://www.ghgcorp.com/schwerpt/). Game I was referring to is called the Russo-German war 41-44 (http://www.ghgcorp.com/schwerpt/rgw.htm) Status per 29-11-2000: feb-march release.

A game in which the Germans might win is maybe a bit to much to ask for (it clashes with historical acuratesse in my opinion). TOAW has several scenario's for the east front, some good some bad, some even very good. If you buy Century of Warfare (COW; the latest TOAW variant) you can download Opertion Barbarossa, which is a very nice east front first year scenario, and you get tons of other scenario's as bonus. Other than that 'Schwerpunkt'is currently building an East Front version for their WW2 engine (Schwerpunkt Moscow?). I am waitig for that one, should be out 'soon'. Bertram

In a PBEM I am currently running (Moose don't read this) my troops were being shelled. The shelling isn't very accurate, and widely dispersed (not observed?) so the casualties are light, just 5 wounded in a batalion. *But* both my mortar crews (american 60 mm)deemed it necesairy to drop their mortars and become just 'crews'. One of the crews had one wounded, in the other crew everyone was just fine. (becoming 'unarmed crews'their morale of course dropped, and they broke and ran for the rear). This sharply contrasts to my MG crewss, who keep happily lugging their MG along, even if one or two of their number become casualties. My question is: were mortar tubes really that fragile? Where they useless once their crews hit the dirt? Did their crews really break that much faster, and abandon their weapons than the MG crews? As it currently stands the mortars are effectively put out of action by any arty shelll that lands close enough to make the crew take cover. This looks a bit overdone to me. Bertram

Hi, I just got the strangest occurance. I was trying to run CM, while having the internetbrowser and mail minimized (running IE 5.5). CM gave an error (number 1 if I remember correct). So I clicked ok, exited the internet browser and restarted CM. No trouble. Plotted the turn, running in 1200x1000 res. as usual. Upon exiting CM my screen resolution dropped to something of 200x300 or lower. Now this seems easy to fix, but in this low a resolution I could not acces the screen resolution tab! It was somewhere below my screen, and I could not get the window to go any higher (no, changing the settings on the monitor didn't help, the window really extended below the screen. Restarting didn't help either). After much trial and error (and swearing), I finally managed to get another resolution, by hitting <tab> repeatedly and experimenting with the scroll wheel. Any known reason why this happened? I am running Windows98, on a P2/400, 128 Mb, SBlive, GForce2 MX, latest versions, latest drivers. CM was version 1.05. Didn't happen again (but I didn't try very hard). Bertram [This message has been edited by Bertram (edited 12-28-2000).]

I think this is a case where the game takes some liberties, and follows Hollywood, just to show us something happened . In a recent game my men blew up a jeep, just by shooting at it (SMG team, 1 round of ammo spend). The explosion was very spectaculair, a fireball bigger than the jeep. Not very likely to say the least. Bertram

I have Compagny Commander from McDonald, but he might have written more books. Liked this one, though he isn't very specific on tactical detail if I remember right Bertram

I second that Engy. Scrogdog, I lost my opponents (left them behind in limbo when my comp crashed, and they haven't catched up yet). So if you want to try a PBEM game, send me a mail. Bertram

Now I know most of you won't care, but I have got some opponents out there in limbo. Alas, I lost all adresses in my non-digital period. Please resend the last turn, and we will resume where I crashed of. Bertram

Seems they found an UK publisher, see their webside, so it should appear in English shortly (can't imagine they will miss Xmis season). Bertram